Writer Gives Up Wine for a Month as a 'Sobering Exercise'

Somewhere in between alky and non-drinker, there's a community of social sippers that could have another but typically knows when to say nah. Nina Caplan, part of this group, decided to give up wine for a month and write about it for Intelligent Life, a quarterly magazine by The Economist.

It’s not difficult. Just dull. I felt unsociable. I missed the glow of self-satisfaction that alcohol brings, and the clear division it offers between work and recreation. I would cook dinner for a friend, watch her down half a bottle of wine and feel guilty for not joining her.

Her conclusion: stone-cold sobriety is overrated. She was still tired, lazy, and guilty of overeating carbs. She didn't spend any less. Plus, without alcohol to transport her a bit mentally, she had to hang out, so to speak, with herself more. And "nobody wants to spend that much time with me—not even me." [via Coldmud]

I've been part of the Serious Eats family since 2008. I wore the hat of national managing editor until 2013. Originally a Californian then a Brooklynite and now a New Orleanian. You can find me at the crawfish boil.

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